API Huntin' sticks "creaking"

[UNSUCCESSFUL1]

Hello folks,
I tried the search function, API is too short for the search engine, so i tried google searching the site and still didn't come up with anything.

Here's my problem: i bought some API sticks to shorten, and make 2 step sticks. So far i love them other than they make an awful creaking noise on the tree. I'm using the stock buckle straps and getting them as tight as i can, but when i put my weight on the stick, it slides down and creaks. When i take my weight off the stick, it slides back up and creaks.... very annoying on a quiet day. The stand offs just don't bite in hard enough. I was thinking of taking a flat file and sharpening the teeth up.
Anyone have any other ideas or found anything that works?

 

[MNMosquitoAssassin]

I think that the way that the teeth are manufactured they don't really "dig in" or "bite" into the tree, they kind of slide into place...? I bought a set of those sticks earlier this year and modified them by cutting them down to 20-in sticks and adding aiders to them, I even took a couple of the leftover double steps and turned the top step of one into a platform, using that top climbing stick as my platform eliminates the extra platform that I would have to carry in. I haven't noticed any squeaking up on that top step shifting around..., I also put the full weight of my body into the aider and step it down after I know that the stick is ready to go on the tree, to get it nice and tight...but I've heard bad things about these sticks and I've heard good things, I like them because they're a little heavier duty and they come with double steps, I've even come to the point where I've cut a part of one down to make a small 9-in stick with a double step on the bottom with a 5-step climbing aider my first stick is almost 7 ft off the ground to those double steps and it weighs like 2 lb.

 

[miketanner82]

I have the same sticks and have the same problem. I use the rope mod on mine and I find tress that are large in diameter like bigger than basket ball the steps dont seem to get a good grip. I also think the bark bitter standoffs which are designed to rotate and is causing some noise. In the off season im going tig weld them in place or by new ones to see if that helps.



Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[MNMosquitoAssassin]

I have the same sticks and have the same problem. I use the rope mod on mine and I find tress that are large in diameter like bigger than basket ball the steps dont seem to get a good grip. I also think the bark bitter standoffs which are designed to rotate and is causing some noise. In the off season im going tig weld them in place or by new ones to see if that helps.



Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

I've also kind of noticed that if you let the standoffs follow the grain of the tree and allow them to rotate some there's less squeaking as well...? I might be mistaken but I believe that's why they designed them rotate and move slightly, to let them follow the tree and keep your steps as close to parallel to the ground as possible. On oaks, especially in our area, if I follow the grain of the bark they get less squeaking but if I cross the bark slightly I get more squeaking... You're always going to get some little squeak here and there, I've noticed them on lone wolfs that I had in the past, too, but they were much quieter, and unless you use the top step of your climbing stick as a platform you're only going to be climbing up them once and down for a majority of the time... You'll get trees rubbing and squeaking out in the woods as well from ones that have fallen over onto others, so unless you're deliberately jumping up and down on them making them squeak I don't think it would be a big issue? But as my wife lets me know on occasion, I might be wrong....

 

[miketanner82]

Also I'm going to fill them with the " GREAT STUFF" expanding foam i think that will help as well.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[MNMosquitoAssassin]

Also I'm going to fill them with the " GREAT STUFF" expanding foam i think that will help as well.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

I bought some camouflage colored gorilla tape from Menards and put that on my sticks as well. It feels like it's a triple thick layer of duct tape, I believe I paid like $8 a roll that did 3 sticks +...I was more doing it for the camouflaging effect but it quiets everything down quite a bit too...

 

[MNMosquitoAssassin]

It would be nice if everything that you purchase worked out perfectly for your expectations, but rarely does that ever happened for me anyway... I like to tinker with things so where would all the fun be had...?

 

[UNSUCCESSFUL1]

Ive been outside since i posted tinkering around. I tried to rotate the stick and tighten the strap more then force the stick back on the tree. This helped a little. I also tried the straps from my xop stand and they worked quite well. Very little squeak. I think the stock straps actually stretch a bit and that is causing the sliding down/up issue.

Im sure its not a huge deal but i take a lot of care to eliminate noise from my set up so that creak is like nails on a chalkboard when im in the woods....

 

[UNSUCCESSFUL1]

I bought some camouflage colored gorilla tape from Menards and put that on my sticks as well. It feels like it's a triple thick layer of duct tape, I believe I paid like $8 a roll that did 3 sticks +...I was more doing it for the camouflaging effect but it quiets everything down quite a bit too...View attachment 40315

I used camo vet wrap on mine and it worked out quite well for silencing the sticks! You can hit the stick with the buckle and it makes a barely audible dull thud sound instead of the loud ting.

 

[MNMosquitoAssassin]

I got rid of those stock straps day one when I bought those sticks. I was putting them up into the tree and I accidentally kicked one of the cam buckles with my foot, and since the thumb release area sticks out further than the cam strap frame it released the strap and I went down the tree a couple of feet. Luckily I didn't get hurt, because I was wearing my saddle at the time and I was hooked to the tree, other than a couple of bumps and bruises. I would suggest getting rid of those stock straps. I use lone wolf straps on mine that I've kept after I did a rope mod on some lone wolf steps and sold them, so that might have a bit to do with how tight you can get them...?

 

[Weldabeast]

I have the api stand off brackets on my sticks I made. I took the caps off water bottles and made plastic washers out of them. Install between the standoff and the tube. No noise and smooth bracket rotation (which is a benefit IMO)

Between the plastic washer and stealth strip where the rotation stops contact there is very little potential for noise other the tree bark sounds

 

[UNSUCCESSFUL1]

I ended up hitting it with a flat file. I took very little material off. Mostly cleaned off whatever coating they use on it and squared up the rounded pieces. It completely solved the issue so far and the stand off bites into the tree well enough that it stays attached after the strap is released. Im going to do the other ones and see how it goes.
Before and after.

 

[UNSUCCESSFUL1]

I have the api stand off brackets on my sticks I made. I took the caps off water bottles and made plastic washers out of them. Install between the standoff and the tube. No noise and smooth bracket rotation (which is a benefit IMO)

Between the plastic washer and stealth strip where the rotation stops contact there is very little potential for noise other the tree bark soundsView attachment 40316

I like the water bottle cap idea. The stock ones seemed pretty hard and brittle to me.

 

[Weldabeast]

I like the water bottle cap idea. The stock ones seemed pretty hard and brittle to me.

I didn't know they came with washers....I bought the stand off separate.

 

[UNSUCCESSFUL1]

On a side note, i removed the stock buckle and used the strap like you would a rope mod and it seems to cinch down better than the rope does with these buttons. Will experiment at ground level with it but it seems promising.